Guardian of Belief
by Winter's Melon
Summary: Named after the Greek goddess of the hunt, the moon, virginity, and others, Artemis is a spirit who wanders the Earth protecting wildlife and children. She was killed for believing in something she shouldn't have, and brought back for similar purposes. So it's kind of ironic how she becomes the Guardian of Belief. Who knew Man in Moon had a nasty streak the size of the Milky Way?
1. Prologue: The Awakening

**Prologue: The Awakening**

Our story starts in a small wooded forest in Athens, Greece. There were many different forests in Greece; many even larger than the forest where our story starts. But this forest was special. It was the very epitome of a winter wonderland, with snow huddled in small mounds, some bigger than others, and the skeletons of trees that were once gilded in red and gold casted thin shadows on the snow-covered ground. In the middle it all was a small hut that squatted snugly into the white powder. This hut, which was once crackling with life, now sat desolate and empty. It was like an alter, but the gods had all gone away.* But do not fret, dear readers, for the gods will soon return.

The moon seemed to shine unusually bright on this night, as if signaling to the people of Athens an important event. The people of the city observed the moon and murmured, "Selene is in a good mood tonight. Make haste! For if we plan our drachmas right, she will bless us." They were right, in a way, for Selene was celebrating the birth of a new moon goddess.

Unknown to the partying city of Athens, the old cabin that had marked the death of one of the city's best storytellers was surrounded by the brilliant light of the moon. Inside lay the body of a twelve year old girl. How did she die, you may ask? All in good time, dear readers.

One silvery moonbeam escaped its brethren, crept through one of the small windows surrounding the house, and tiptoed over to the bed in the corner, where the talented storyteller had been laid to rest. This beam settled onto the girl's pale but youthful face, and, this is where it gets confusing, dear readers, for even I do not know what happened next. Part of the beam began to sink into the girl's skin. Her hair absorbed the silvery light, and color began to return to her features. But she changed, too. Her hair, which was once a dark, almond brown, lightened to an auburn color, and her body became lithe, like the body of a panther. Her clothes, which were once a wool dress that reached her ankles, became comfortable black jeans and a silver parka, while her shoes, which were once moccasins, became combat boots that would run much faster than moccasins would. Her skin, which was previously a sickly pale porcelain, became a healthier tan color.

The girl sat up with a gasp, and when she opened them, her eyes were a vibrant silver; the same color as the moonbeam that had restored her to life. Staring around in confusion, the girl tried to remember what she knew. All she remembered was the darkness that had surrounded her, like the thick, inky blackness of space. Stumbling out of the bed and the hut into the cold air outside, she breathed in the icy cold air. Even though she loathed to admit it, she was scared. Scared of the sharp coldness like the flat of a blade and the foreboding darkness that promises pain.

But then she saw the moon. It projected a calming aura, so strong that it calmed her fears. She knew that as long as the moon was there, she would be safe. Not knowing where to go or what she was meant to do, the girl began trudging towards the loud sounds of partying that seemed to come from a city up ahead, until her foot hit something. Staring down in surprise, she found a magnificent bow made out of silver, with a quiver full of arrows and a set of hunting knives made from the same material. A traditional hunting horn lay next to them. They were partially covered in snow, so she wasn't sure if they had just appeared, or if they had been sitting there for a long time. Eyes sparkling with glee, the girl carefully notched an arrow, before shooting it at a nearby tree. It hit with surprising accuracy, but what surprised her more was the green leaves that sprung from the previously barren branches. This green tree stood out from the rest, and it caused a smile to appear on the stoic girl's face.

Whistling softly to herself, the girl began to sprint, and reached the city in no time. Wandering between the bustling stalls of the market, she tried to catch someone's attention, but nobody noticed her. She shrugged it off, blaming it on the loud noises usually attributed to partying. Spying a young girl being chased by an older boy, she hurried over to the pair and began asking "Excuse me, can you please tell me where I-", but never finished. The young girl ran straight through her, the boy following close behind. The girl jolted back as if shocked, before sprinting back into the safety of her woods. Falling to her knees in despair, the girl hears a small voice whisper in her head the following message: "Artemis, child, I am the Man in Moon. You are one of my most powerful spirits. Your domains cover that of the original Greek goddess, including power over the hunt, wild animals, wilderness, childbirth, virginity, and young children, especially girls. You are also the Guardian of the Moon, as Selene is in Greece. Go do what you do best, my child, and I will see you soon."

"I do not understand," she protested, but the voice had gone away. Wiping her tears away, she decided to heed this stranger's advice: to do what she did best, although she did not know what she was best at yet. Eying the hunting horn curiously, the girl brought it to her lips and blew a long, steady sound. The sound of the hunting horn rung through the forest like church bells, and the city dwellers all stopped what they were doing to hear the sound. Mothers told their sons "That is the sound of Artemis's hunting horn. She will protect you from the monsters tonight," and fathers told their daughters about the mighty goddess Artemis and her huntresses.

The girl, however, did not hear their words, and instead waited patiently to see what would happen. Nothing did at first, but then a silver chariot pulled by deer descended from the sky. The chariot shone with power from the moon, and the girl gave the head deer a pet on her furry head, before climbing in and driving her team off into the night sky.

But that was a long, long time ago.

 _So, what do you think?_ _I_ _sat up writing this until 10:00, so it's not the best. It's also pretty short, but I hope you liked it. I will try to update this story as much as possible too, and will set my goals for one chapter a week, like for The Dreamer. Please support me! Happy reading!_


	2. Chapter 1: The Birth of Jack Frost

**Chapter 1: The Birth of Jack Frost**

Artemis, who had now been alive for over thousands of years, perched silently on a tree that belonged to a forest bordering a small village. This forest too looked like the epitome of Winter, she grudging admitted, but it was not as peaceful as the forest back in Greece. She was here on this cold Winter evening because she had sensed magical activity here. Of course, magic was not part of her domains, but any magic coming from the moon could be traced by her. Not only that, but a teenage boy had died in the pond she was overlooking that day, and she was watching over the children of Burgess, to help them move on from Jack Overland.

Silver orbs staring intently at the frozen pond, she muttered softly, "What are you up to now, Manny?" As if in answer, the moon's glow intensified, just as it had on that day all those years ago. The beam shone down onto the ice, before it began to crack, like spider webs. The cracks continued to grow, until a hole splintered in the center of the pond, and a boy in his late teenage years floated out of the water. His attire was the standard during Colonial times, with deerskin leggings that were slightly frayed at the edges, a thick cloak made from similar material, and a plain white shirt underneath. However, his appearance was not normal for any child. This boy had hair frosted white as snow, and his eyes were like the ice he had just rose from. His skin was an unearthly pale color, like someone who had not seen the sun for many years. _So Manny plans to raise another spirit, no?_ Artemis mused. _We will see how this one turns out._ Of course, she had met those upstart Guardians Manny had made throughout the years; the Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Tooth Fairy, and Sandman. The Sandman made great company, when he had the time, of course, but the other Guardians were a little too confident for her taste. Artemis wasn't sure when Man in Moon would make her a Guardian, but she hoped it wasn't anytime soon. She knew that the moon created her and other spirits to protect children; so essentially, to become Guardians some time or the other. The only non-Guardian spirit she could think of was Mother Nature; yet she was almost as powerful as Man in Moon himself, and had not been created by Man in Moon.

The boy, for his part, was just confused. All he remembered was the darkness that had surrounded him like a cloak, and the cold. It was very cold. He was so very scared, until he saw the light of the moon. He saw the moon, and he wasn't scared anymore. Some unknown force seemed to pull him upwards, out of his icy prison. A soft voice whisper: "Jack Frost, Spirit of Winter", before the force gently set him to the ground. Jack Frost scanned his surroundings curiously, before attempting to make his way off the pond. His foot hit something wooden that rattled against the icy surface, and he saw it was a wooden crook, like the ones shepherds used. _How do I know what a shepherd is?_ he wondered, for he did not remember anything past waking up in the darkness of the water. Nudging the crook, Jack jumped back in surprise when the wood was covered in a light layer of frost. Carefully picking up the crook, he made to walk away when the crook slipped from his hands. Desperately gripping the edge, his eyes widened in wonder as a flowery pattern formed onto the ice where the base had touched it. Staring at his crook in a new light, he began tapping trees here and there, and the new spirit marveled at the beauty of the frost. Letting out a laugh that rung happily through the forest, he started running on the surface of the ice, shouting in glee.

Suddenly, a updraft picked him up at the base of a cliff and lifted him off the ground and into the air. "Woah!" he yelled in fear before his eyes widened at the masterpiece he had created with his magic. "Wow." But he didn't have much time to admire his creation because at that moment, the wind stream stopped, dropping him into the trees below. Crashing through branches, he finally landed on a firm, thick one. Laughing quietly to himself, because that had been _fun_ , he spotted a village in the distance that sparkled with lights and fires and decided to explore. Jumping back into the air and unconsciously calling upon the wind, he flew clumsily towards the little town of Burgess, chuckling all the way.

Now let's not forget our little eavesdropper, dear readers, for she was still perched on a branch, her silver eyes gleaming with thought. Man in Moon had created Jack Frost, the spirit of Winter and future Guardian, though she wasn't sure what this spirit's center was. He seemed to enjoy joking around and having fun, but without the knowledge of his past, finding his center would be near impossible. "Does this meant there will be another threat?" she asked the moon. The last time another Guardian had been created, it was North, who was better known as Santa, after he had helped the other three defeat Pitch Black. Pitch, previously Kozmotis Pitchiner, was essentially a Guardian in himself, just the Guardian of Fear. He was Mother Nature's father, before he had been consumed by the fearlings.

Then there was the fact that Jack Frost had control over one of the seasons. As far as Artemis knew, Mother Nature was the soul herder of the seasons, changing Spring to Summer, Summer to Autumn, Autumn to Winter, and Winter to Spring in a smooth pattern that formed the seasons. The fact that this boy had control over Winter was puzzling. How had Man in Moon managed to convince Mother Nature to give the power of arguably the most powerful season to one of his Guardians? Artemis decided she would ask her friend later. However, at this moment, she needed to watch the new spirit. He obviously did not know that spirits could not be seen by mortals, and, judging by his innocence, it would probably draw a big reaction from him.

Sprinting through the woods to the edge of the forest, she arrived in time to see a happy boy chasing his dog run through the new spirit. His body turned a ghostly blue where alive skin touched spirit skin. Even from afar, Artemis could see the hurt and confusion painted over his face. Feeling pity, she walked over to the boy and gently set her cold hands on his shoulder. Technically, this boy was still a child. As young children were part of her domains, Artemis felt she had the right to help Jack Frost, at least this once. Artemis knew that Man in Moon left the spirits to their own accord so they could grow up on their own and develop their personalities without outside help. However, most of Man in Moon's Guardians had been adults when they had become spirits, and had already developed their personalities to some extant.

Jack, however, did not feel pity. He only felt pain, confusion, and fear. Why did the boy walk through him? Was he a ghost? Was he not supposed to exist? Was he a _freak_? He began to hyperventilate, pictures of possibilities flashing through his mind, too quickly to be scrutinized closely. He felt a small hand squeeze his shoulder comfortingly, and his cold blue orbs looked up into brilliant silver. The first thought that flashed through his mind was: she can see me. The second thing he realized was that this girl seemed to be ignored too. People were walking through the both of them like they didn't exist. The third thing he realized was that although this girl looked young, her eyes shone with many years of experience. Jack felt a small flutter of hope bubble in his chest, and he obediently followed the girl when she gestured towards the dark forest with her free hand. Floating a few inches off the ground, Jack hurriedly flew to catch up with the girl's fast sprinting. Within a few minutes, they had reached the pond in which he had woken up from.

The girl looked deep in thought, and as the moon shone upon her features, Jack realized that she was very beautiful. A light blush dusted his pale cheeks, and Jack was glad it was so dark. Nodding her head once, as if coming to a decision, she walked over to where Jack stood and touched her index finger to his forehead. Instantly, Jack began to feel tired. His eyelids weighed heavily over his eyes, and although he tried to fight it, sleep called to him. Right before he succumbed to sleep, he thought he heard the girl whisper, "My name is Artemis. Sleep well."

Artemis watched the boy's eyes droop closed. Covering him snuggly in a pile of snow, Artemis stood up and called her chariot. Looking back one last time, she said, "I know Manny does not want me to interfere directly; you must learn to develop on your own. I do not like it, but this is his will."

Artemis paid a visit to Jack's mortal sister, Emily, before flying off into the night.

The next morning, when Jack Frost woke up, all he remembered was a pair of silver eyes.


	3. Chapter 2: Guardian Meeting

**Chapter 2: Guardian Meeting**

Deep in the icy mountains of the North Pole, a giant factory could be seen, just hidden inside a crook of one of the larger mountains. The lights of the factory shone cheerfully, giving off a feeling of happiness and wonder. Inside, it was bustling with activity. Large yetis carried toys of all kinds, including dolls, airplanes, and robots, and made sure everything was prepared for Christmas, for it was soon approaching. Small elves wearing coats of bright red ran around the shop, baking cookies for Santa and causing mayhem everywhere they went, with their silver bells tinkling loudly after them. Any child who stepped foot into this workshop would never leave. There was just too much to see and do.

But let's not forgot the top dog of this workshop, dear readers, for he is here too. Only, Santa Claus is in his personal workshop, designing new toys for all the good boys and girls. Loud gypsy music could be heard blasting through the room, with a deep voice singing slightly off key as North set about to carve his newest design: a small toy train made of ice. Carefully adding in the last touches, he shouted, "Still waiting for cookies!" in a mild Russian accent. The elves, who were hiding under the table, looked up guiltily, cookie crumbs dribbling down their uniform. Scrambling together, the cookies were finally delivered North, who took a soggy cookie while chuckling at his success. The toy train, which had been set on a icy track, flipped into the air, before developing rocket blasters that launched it across the room. Just as it neared the door, it was slammed open. The train, now in pieces, shattered onto the floor. North gasped in horror, as did the yeti, before he put his head in his hands. "How many times have I told you to _knock_?!" The yeti spoke in a garbled language that neither you nor I can understand. But North did, apparently, because his face grew serious and he asked, "What? The globe?" Leaping out of his chair, train all but forgotten, he grabbed a huge scimitar from his sheath and stormed out.

Stepping over the little servants on his way to the globe, he pushed past two of the yetis before his warm blue eyes widened in shock. "What is this?" The billions of lights on the globe that had once shone proud and true were flickering. Slowly but surely, they began to go out. This was a bad sign for the Guardians, because each light represented a child who believed. The lights flickering did not bode well for North. More and more lights began to flicker out, and this increased North's concern. "Have you checked the axis? Is rotation balanced?" One of the workers answered back in the same garbled language, before their attention was drawn back to the globe. Black sand began leaking from the axis and surrounded the globe. The winds picked up as the sand shrouded the globe in inky darkness. Elves ran around in panic, bumping into eachother during their haste to escape, and the beards of the yetis and North whipped back and forth.

Then, all at once, the black sand rose as one from the globe to form the upper body of a man. A specific man. A spine chilling laughter rang throughout the room, before the black sand dissipated. Pieces of debris settled slowly to the ground as North spoke in a grave voice: "Can it be?" Scrunching his bushy eyebrows in thought, he suddenly yelled, "Dingle! Make preparations. We are going to have company." Shoving his large hands onto a handle, he turned it as pressed down. Throughout the world, the Aurora Borealis flashed across the world, alerting the other Guardians to an important meeting.

Soon enough, the four Guardians of Childhood had arrived and settled into their comfortable positions around the Globe of Belief. Tooth appeared first, firing off destinations in rapid succession as she fluttered to rest on the top of the Globe. The Sandman came in second, flying in on his personal plane made of dream sand. The oldest Guardian was not amused, and he showed it through a large, golden question mark that appeared above his head. The Easter Bunny arrived last, popping out of his tunnel, shaking snow off of his sensitive ears. "This better be good, North," Bunny warned. Easter was in a few days, and he couldn't afford to loose time. Not unless they wanted a repeat of the Blizzard of '68. "I know, I know," North spoke comfortingly. "I obviously wouldn't have called you all here if it wasn't serious!"

"The Boogieman was here! At the Pole!" he said quietly after a moment.

Tooth gasped in shock and fear. Her wings flapped nervously behind her as she said, "Pitch? Pitch Black? Here?"

"Yes, there was black sand covering the globe!" North replied dramatically. "And then, a shadow!"

"Wait, what do you mean, black sand?" Bunny asked, confused. "And I thought you said you saw Pitch!"

"Well, not exactly." North rubbed his neck sheepishly once.

"Not exactly?" said Bunny in a disbelieving tone. "Can you believe this guy?" he asked grumpily to his fellow Guardian. Sandy shrugged his shoulders in response. In honesty, the little man wasn't sure what to think. If it was what he thought it was, the Guardians would be a big trouble. "Look, he is up to something very bad," North argued. "I feel it! In my belly!" He patted his belly confidently.

"Hang on, hang on." Bunny looked extremely put-off. "You mean to say, you summoned me here _three days before Easter_ , because of your belly? Mate, if I did this to you three days before Christmas-"

"But Easter is not Christmas, no?"

Sandy just huffed in frustration as his fellow Guardians digressed again. He shook his head disapprovingly at the two youngest Guardians, who were arguing over which holiday was the best, and rolled his eyes at their only female Guardian, who was rattling off more tooth destinations to the fairies that had accompanied her. He loved his friends, but they got distracted way too easily. Floating over to a nearby elf, he grabbed a cup of eggnog and decided he would just relax until his fellows tired themselves out.

That was when he noticed a beam of moonlight creeping in from the corner of the large hole in the ceiling. Soon enough, the moon comes into full view as its rays continues to cascade down the sides of the walls. The golden man tried to get the attention of his fellow Guardians. He waved his hands, blew a whistle, waved a flag!

"Tooth, can't you see we're trying to argue?" North asked disgruntled as Tooth once again flew into one of their famous squabbles.

"Sorry, but not all of us work once a year, am I right, Sandy?" Tooth retorted. Sandy nodded eagerly while pointing a golden arrow towards the moon, which almost reached the center of the hole. But Tooth didn't take the hint. Huffing in frustration (again), he got sight of an elf sneaking some eggnog and flew towards it. Grabbing the elf by the tip of its hat, he began swinging it back and forth, it's bell ringing loudly. The Guardians finally silenced, and Sandy created a moon above his head while pointing to the now centered moon, whose light was shining down on the circle between them. "Ah, Man in Moon!" North cried happily. "Sandy, why didn't you say something?" Sandy shot the youngest Guardian a deadpan stare, while dream dust smoke shot out of his ears. "It's been a long time, old friend," North continued. "What is big news?"

The moonlight shining on the circle began to shine brightly, before part of it ebbed away, revealing the silhouette of Pitch. The Guardians looked on, stunned. "It is Pitch," Bunny said, disbelief and what could be fear laced in his voice. North shot him a "I told you so" look while patting his firm belly, then looked back to the moon, whose light had dimmed in a grim mood. "Manny, what must we do?"

The light further intensified and shrunk, centering on an ornate symbol on the floor. The symbol slide away, revealing a large, shining blue gem glowing with magic rising at the head of a pillar. "Uh, guys, you know what this means?" Tooth gasped excitedly, her shimmering wings fluttering faster in her excitement.

"He's choosing a new Guardian!" North answered, awe coloring his voice.

"What? Why?" Bunny did not seem happy.

"Must be big deal. Manny must think we need help."

"Since when do we need help?" Bunny snorted.

"I wonder who it's going to be?" squealed Tooth. A dream sand four-leaf clover appeared over Sandy's head. "Maybe the leprechaun?"

"Please not the Groundhog, please not the Groundhog." The Easter Bunny and the Groundhog did not get along.

Suddenly, a rush of wind whipped through the room, and one bright flash of light later, two figures proudly revolved over the central stone. One was tall, hooded, male, and carried a familiar hooked staff. "Jack Frost," North pronounced, his blue eyes twinkling with curiosity and wonder. The baby teeth swooned softly, and one even fainted. "I take it back! The groundhog's fine!" Bunny announced, eyes wide.

The other Guardians turned to Tooth, who was caught admiring Jack. "Oh, as long as he helps to, ah... protect the children, right?"

"Jack Frost?" Bunny scoffed. "He doesn't care about children! All he does is freeze water pipes and mess with my egg hunts! He's an irresponsible, selfish-"

"Guardian," North finished.

"Jack Frost is many things, but he is _not_ a Guardian."

"What about the other one?" Tooth asked, trying to break up the fight. The four turned back to the second figure, who was slightly shorter than the first. This figure was female, with hair pushed back in a ponytail down her back. She was carrying a bow, with a quiver slung over her shoulder. The Guardians were puzzled. Who was this female character? They'd never seen her before. Well, all except for Sandy. A sandy bow appeared over his head. Then a Greek omega. _Artemis_ , he tried to say.

"Artemis?" North guessed. Sandy nodded happily. The moon's beam began to create words. _Artemis is my most powerful spirit. She is the Guardian of the Moon, amongst other things. However, she will be the hardest to persuade._ "What do you mean, Manny?" But the moon didn't answer.

The Guardians split up, to find the troublemaker, Jack Frost, and the mystery, Artemis.

But nobody noticed a feminine figure dressed in black dart outside and open window and into the storm outside.

 _Yay! Chapter 2 is out. I hope you liked it. I know the first few chapters are pretty short, but I promise they will get longer! Or, I will try to get them longer. I don't have much time to write long chapters, so... yeah. Happy reading!_


	4. Chapter 3: Heartfelt Reunion

**Chapter 3: Reunion**

Artemis sat on a chair inside her home where she had first awoken, thinking. Man in Moon had finally made her a Guardian. She wasn't sure if she was happy about it or not. It wasn't more of whether she was happy about it or not either. Pitch had finally risen again. She knew he would have, she was just surprised to see how powerful he must be if _two_ new Guardians had to be chosen, one that was her, no less. Did she want to be a Guardian? She wasn't sure. Of course, she would do anything to protect the children from the Nightmare King; she just didn't want to have to work with the Guardians. It wasn't as if the Guardians were bad at their job. No, not at all! They were just... cocky. Yes, that was a good word to describe them. They were powerful, no doubt about that. It was just that their pride about being powerful immortals often blinded them to the truth: they weren't very good at working together. Each was off doing their own thing, and whenever they fought together, each would be fighting in their own style. That was good and all, but they never incorporated the others' fighting styles to their own, so if one got in the way of another, they'd probably end up knocking eachother out.

Sighing despondently, she decided to hunt. Hunting always cleared her head. Striding outside of the little hut, she took the time to admire it. This she had done many times, but she always marveled at the simplicity of her home. She knew many of the Guardians had huge palaces. Toothania's tooth palace was easily the size of three Empire State Buildings shoved together, with room to spare. North's workshop was about the size of two football stadiums stacked on top of eachother, and had the flying toys to make it look flashy. Sandy had a mini castle in which he sometimes went to to rest. It rested on a small island made of dreamsand, and looked like a beach paradise. Bunnymund's hide-out, though not as big and flashy as the others, was still large and striking in its own way. It was basically a little world, just below the ground where little eggs walked on two legs and got painted for Easter. Yes, her home was much simpler than the rest. It was still small, with honey-oak logs that rested on top of eachother. It still retained the color it did from long ago. Her expression turned sad as she remembered what her home had been like before the Romans attacked. Athens had been beautiful back then, with wonderful architectural buildings and a stable economy. Artemis loved wandering through the streets, staring at all the shops and booths people set up each day. She wowed over the shiny drachmas and awed over the Parthenon, a temple dedicated to Athena, the Greek goddess of Wisdom, Crafts, and War. The architectural wonder was so great, that the Romans had used some of its designs to create their own building, the Pantheon. The Parthenon wasn't what it once was anymore. Rain and snow had chipped away at the stone, and with the Roman invasion, the Parthenon was no more than a structure. The roof had collapsed a long time ago, and the Athena Parthenos, the pride and joy of Athens that had once stood there, had been stolen by the Romans, never to be seen again.

Of course, she had loved Rome too. Rome was probably _the_ most powerful empire that ever existed. Even the US today couldn't match up to their military power back then. Rome was a fresh start from Greece. They did keep the Greeks' gods; they just changed them a bit. Most of the gods remained the same, although it saddened her when Athena was stripped of her military aspects. Minerva, the Roman goddess of Wisdom and Crafts, was said to be a much more subdued goddess, who was more attributed to art than military strategy. What happened to the Athena Parthenos remains a mystery to the historians of the modern day. Even Artemis did not know what had happened, because she had been off in China during that time, observing their advances in literature, science, and government. She'd asked the Bringer of Dreams once, but all she got was a shrug. Athens was still beautiful; it just wasn't what it once was. The architecture became more modern, and it wasn't as special anymore.

Shaking herself out of her deep thoughts, she willed her bow into her hand, before flashing to Alaska. Alaska was one of the only wilderness-filled places left. Her heart fluttered every time she entered this place, because the woods were still so pure. Not many humans ventured into the heart of Alaska, because there were still many bears and other "dangerous" creatures living there. Even with modern technology, not many mortals were brave enough to go there. Darting through the trees, Artemis looked for potential prey. Finally, she came upon a deer sitting alone. It looked tired, and Artemis could feel the stress coming from the animal. Deciding to put it out of its misery, she notched in an arrow and released. The arrow flew straight through its eyes, so the animal felt no pain. Muttering a blessing, she picked up her kill and flashed back to the hut. Stepping to a shed nearby, she skinned it, took out it's intestines, and hung it in smoke, so there would be smoked version for whenever she felt hungry. Immortals didn't need to eat, but it still felt nice to indulge herself once in a while.

Deciding she was still bored, and didn't have any duties to do, she decided to go pick wild blueberries. The blueberries in her forest were always in bloom for some reason. Even during the wintertimes, there would always be blue berries hanging down from the branches of their bush. She figured it was probably part of her domain with wildlife or something.

The remaining snow crunched under her boots as she trudged through the forest, basket at hand. Spring was coming soon, and to be honest, she was a little disappointed. She'd been born during the Winter, so naturally it was her favorite season. Not that she had anything against Spring, of course. But still. Bending down, she pushed away some snow-covered branches with her bare hands, and began picking the berries in bunches. The cold nipped her hands softly, but it didn't bother her. Immortals couldn't get frostbite anyway.

It was at that time that she felt a presence enter her forest. Because the forest was directly connected to her, she felt any and all people who entered and exited her domain. Feeling through her domain to the presence, she saw it was no other than the Sandman.

The Sandman was slightly worried as he enter the domain of Artemis. He had met the girl many times before, and knew she was a force to be reckoned with. Although she had the appearance of a twelve year old, he knew she had been around much longer than North had been. Her powers rivaled that of Man in Moon himself, even though he was the one who had granted her those powers. He knew that Artemis was not kind, because though she always greeted him with a cheerful smile and a wave whenever they crossed paths, Artemis did not like the other Guardians, which was why she had kept herself hidden from them. He had understood immediately when Manny had said she would be the hardest to convince, because although Jack Frost was over 300 years old, he was still slightly naive, and childish. Jack was also driven by wanting to be seen, and Sandy knew that he was too kindhearted to refuse helping them. Artemis was a different story. Even though she would do whatever she could to protect the children, she wouldn't care if the Guardians were destroyed. She was fully capable of taking on Pitch by herself; Sandy knew it was true.

Sandy entered the small cottage with a forebodingness inside of him, knowing it would take much to convince the Moon Guardian to support them against Pitch. He was surprised to find the hut empty. Usually, Artemis knew exactly who had entered her domain, and when. A flash of light had him spin around in surprise, only to see said girl, whose auburn hair was tied back in a ponytail, just like the figure of her back at the North Pole, looking at him, curiosity visible in her silver eyes. "Hello, Sandy," she greeted cheerfully. "What can I do for you?", even though Artemis already knew why he was there. Using his dream sand, Sandy created a bow, an omega sign, and then a capital G. Artemis rolled her eyes fondly at the symbols the little man had created to symbolize her, before it was wiped off by the G. "Oh, right. Pitch is rising, right?" Sandy plastered a surprised expression on his face, and a large question mark appeared above his head. "How do I know?" He nodded. "I kind of eavesdropped on your last meeting," she smiled sheepishly. The golden man smiled at the younger's antics, before wagging his index finger playfully. "Sorry," Artemis grinned, but they both knew she really wasn't. "Man in Moon finally chose me as a Guardian." Artemis felt a pout rising to her lips. "But why? Manny knows I don't like the other Guardians..." The word help was spelled out in golden letters above the Guardian's head. "I know the Guardians need my help, I just don't want to help them! Can I just help them, and then leave?" Sandy snickered. Yes, Artemis was scary when she wanted to be, but, he reminded himself, she was still a child at heart. Which was why she was acting like a child at the moment. _At least come to the North Pole with me so we can talk it out_ , Sandy said with his symbols. Artemis nodded in agreement, before looking down at her outfit. It was still the dark outfit she had worn when spying on the Guardians. "Lemme go change first," she told Sandy. "I still have a reputation to uphold."

Darting back into the next room she had added to her home, she looked through the outfits she had. Deciding on a silvery-gray hoodie that read "Boys, Beware" in bold letters, comfortable blue jeggings (a new pants the mortals had invented: apparently it had the appearance of jeans, but it felt like wearing leggings), and gray converse (because it worked better with the rest of her outfit). Deciding she looked presentable enough, she walked back into the room to join Sandy, who was admiring a silver locket with a crescent moon engraved on it. Inside the locket was a small book of myths and legends. She wasn't sure she'd gotten it from; she woken up wearing it. "Come on, Sandy." The golden man nodded, before taking out one of North's snow globes. "Really, Sandy?" Artemis deadpanned. "I hate those. They're probably the bane of my existence, after Pitch, of course." Sandy snickered, but said nothing. The huntress grabbed the locket, feeling as though it would be important later on, before taking the offered snow globe (Sandy couldn't talk, so he wouldn't be able to control the snow globe; see? Stupid invention). "North's Workshop," Artemis called out confidently, before smashing the snow globe onto the ground with malice. A swirling portal appeared, and through the forever-swirling substance, Artemis could make out the workshop at the other end. _No turning back_ , she thought, before stepping into the portal and into the workshop beyond.

 _Should I stop here? Nah._

Appearing into the middle of a bustling mass of yetis and elves, Artemis jolted back in surprise, not expecting the rush of creatures rushing around doing whatever they were supposed to be doing. She almost bumped into Sandy, but regained her balance just in time. Once the surprise wore off, Artemis began looking around in interest. Though she had been to the North Pole a few times, mostly to spy on the Guardians, she'd never really taken the time to look around. The yetis were making toys, while little elf-like creatures ran around underfoot. "Folklore always said the elves made the toys," she remarked, watching one yeti paint a line of robots blue. Sandy shrugged his shoulder, saying _What can you do?_ "Good point." The mortals always mixed stuff up when regarding legends. Heracles was the Greek hero who did all the things mortals said he did, not Hercules (Hercules was Roman).

Artemis suddenly tensed, and did a backflip over a fast-moving object. Good thing too, because a red sack carrying someone had been tossed at her head. "I'm not joking, Sandy. North had better change his snow globes or else I will-"

"You will what?" a Russian accented voice boomed behind her. Turning around, she saw a large man with twinkling blue eyes and a white beard and mustache. Her first thought was _Dumbledore_ , the wizard from _Harry Potter_ , a new book series some woman had released in 1997. But the similarities ended there. Whereas Dumbledore was rather thin, wearing long robes of atrocious colors and half-moon spectacles, this man was rather large, with a pair pants and a shirt whose colors went well together. In other words, Santa Claus. "Oh, hi, North," she said nonchalantly, like she had not just threatened to turn him into a Santa Claus shish-cabob.

"Artemis! You are new Guardian, no?" North asked happily. For such an old man, he sure had a lot of energy. "We will see" was all the mighty huntress said, before the attention of Artemis, North, Sandy, Tooth, and Bunny, who had just arrived, was drawn to the red sack that had almost decapitated Artemis. A muffled groan could be heard from within the bag, and scratching sounds, like someone was trying to get out. "You really think kidnapping a potential Guardian, shoving him into a Christmas sack, and tossing him through one of your spinning whirlpools of death would make him willingly join you? Personally, that is one of the worst plans I have ever heard of," Artemis said flatly. Ignoring the hurt and annoyed looks from the three Guardians she did give three ( _swearing ahead, people)_ shits about, she walked towards the bag and cut opening with one of her silver hunting knives. A tuff of white hair popped out, then a wooden staff brimmed with frost. A pale face appeared from the opening of the sack, and icy blue eyes met brilliant silver. The winter spirit's mouth opened and closed in shock, while the huntress looked amusedly down on him, before he uttered one name:

"Artemis."

 _Okay, chapter 3 is out! I'm sorry for the cliff hanger, but I couldn't help it! Now I understand why authors love writing cliffhangers. It's so beautiful! I think I'll update one day for The Dreamer, then one day for this one. Maybe more, maybe less. Love you all! Happy reading!_


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